Chapter 1 the beginning
Anamika ki kahani shuru hui thi jab woh sirf teen saal ki thi.
Uske maa-baap use akela chhodkar chale gaye the.
Uske baad Anamika ka bachpan ek anathashram mein guzra. Zindagi aasaan nahi thi, lekin mushkilein hi dheere-dheere uski taakat ban gayin.
Apni mehnat aur himmat ke dam par aaj Anamika apne sapnon ko poora kar rahi thi.
Woh SS Empire mein kaam karti thi.
Har roz ki tarah aaj bhi woh subah office ki taraf badh rahi thi. Uske chehre par sirf ek muskaan nahi, balki apne sapnon ko poora karne ka junoon tha.
Usse kya pata tha...
Yeh sirf uski kahani ki shuruaat thi.Aaj ka din SS Empire ke liye bahut important tha.
Subah Anamika hamesha ki tarah office pahunchi. Aaj company ki ek high-level meeting thi, jisme ek naye international project par discussion hona tha.
Meeting khatam hote hi usse ek message mila...
“Mr. Abhirav wants to see you in his cabin.”
Anamika ne file uthai aur seedha apne boss, Abhirav, ke cabin ki taraf chal padi.
“Come in,” Abhirav ne kaha.
Anamika andar gayi.
Abhirav ne kaha,
“Anamika, we have finalized a new project... and we want you to lead it.”
Ek pal ke liye Anamika ke chehre par muskaan aa gayi.
Lekin agle hi pal Abhirav ne kaha...
“The project is in India. You'll have to travel there next week.”
Yeh sunte hi uske chehre ki muskaan dheere-dheere gayab ho gayi.
India...
Wahi jagah jahan se judi kuch yaadein woh kabhi dobara jeena nahi chahti thi.
Usne ek pal ke liye mana karne ka socha...
Lekin kaam uske liye sirf ek job nahi, balki uski zimmedari thi.
Anamika ne gehri saans li aur dheere se kaha...
“I'll go.”
Usne agle hafte India jaane ki taiyaari shuru kar di.
Lekin Anamika ko bilkul andaza nahi tha...
Ki yeh safar sirf ek business trip nahi...
Balki uski poori zindagi badalne wala tha.
Anamika ki flight India land hui.
Airport se woh seedha hotel pahunchi. Thodi der aaram karne ke baad, agle din subah woh project team ke saath site visit ke liye nikal padi.
Kai ghanton ke safar ke baad unki gaadi ek purane aur shandaar qile ke saamne ruk gayi.
Anamika ne jaise hi qile ko dekha...
Woh kuch pal ke liye wahi thamm gayi.
Sadiyon purani unchi deewarein, toote hue burj aur khamosh darwaze... aisa lag raha tha jaise har patthar apne andar koi kahani chhupaye baitha ho.
Project team ke saath Anamika qile ke andar gayi.
Woh har jagah ki photographs leti rahi, notes banati rahi aur restoration ke liye zaroori jaankari ikatthi karti rahi.
Tabhi team ka ek member muskurate hue bola,
"Yeh project sirf ek project nahi hai. Mr. Abhirav ke father ka sapna hai ki is aitihasik qile ko dobara uski pehchaan dilayi jaaye... aur ise ek world-class museum mein badla jaaye."
Anamika ne qile ki taraf dekha aur dheere se sir hila diya.
Pata nahi kyun...
Uska dil achanak bhaari sa ho gaya.
Jaise us jagah ka usse koi gehra rishta ho...
Lekin usse kuch bhi yaad nahi tha.
Shaam hone lagi.
Team wapas jaane lagi.
Anamika ne ek baar mudkar qile ki taraf dekha...
Aur usi pal...
Use laga jaise qile ke andhere raaste mein koi parchhai khadi usse dekh rahi ho.
Woh ekdum se ghabra gayi.
Usne dobara dekha...
Lekin wahan koi nahi tha.
"Kya yeh sirf mera waham tha... ya sach mein koi tha?"
Yahi sawaal uske saath hotel tak chala gaya.
Us raat use neend bhi theek se nahi aayi.
Agli subah...
Project team qile ke doosre hisse ki inspection mein lag gayi.
Mauka dekhkar Anamika akeli hi qile ke andar ki taraf badh gayi.
Aaj qila pehle se bhi zyada khamosh tha.
Tooti hui deewarein...
Lambe andhere raaste...
Aur sirf uske kadmon ki goonj.
Tabhi...
"Chhan... Chhan..."
Payal ki halki si awaaz poore qile mein goonj uthi.
Anamika turant ruk gayi.
Usne peeche mudkar dekha...
Lekin wahan koi nahi tha.
Awaaz phir aayi...
"Chhan... Chhan..."
Is baar woh us awaaz ka peecha karne lagi.
Jaise hi woh ek purane khambe ke paas pahunchi...
Uska dil zor-zor se dhadakne laga.
Khambe ke peeche...
Safed saadi pehne, bikhre hue baalon aur gehri, daraavni aankhon wali ek boodhi aurat khadi thi.
Woh bina palak jhapkaye sirf Anamika ko dekh rahi thi.
Anamika ne himmat karke poocha,
"Maa ji... aap kaun hain?"
Boodhi aurat ne koi jawab nahi diya.
Bas dheere se qile ki taraf dekha...
Aur kaampti hui awaaz mein boli,
"Is qile ki taraf zyada der tak mat dekhna..."
"Aur yaad rakhna..."
"Tahkhane ki taraf kabhi mat jaana."
Anamika hairaan hokar boli,
"Lekin kyun?"
Boodhi aurat ek kadam uske kareeb aayi.
Uski aankhon mein saaf darr nazar aa raha tha.
Woh dheere se boli,
"Wahan jo so raha hai... use jagane ki koshish mat karna."
"Jitni jaldi ho sake... yahan se chali jao."
Kuch pal ke liye woh chup ho gayi.
Phir usne ghabra kar qile ke andhere ki taraf dekha...
Aur dheemi lekin daraavni awaaz mein kaha,
"Agar woh jaag gaya..."
"...toh phir kisi ko nahi chhodega."
Itna kehkar woh achanak mud gayi.
Usi waqt tez hawa chalne lagi.
Dhool ka ek bada gubbaar Anamika ke saamne aa gaya.
Anamika ne apni aankhen dhak li.
Jab usne dobara dekha...
Wahan koi nahi tha.
Na woh boodhi aurat...
Na uske kadmon ke nishaan...
Sirf qile ki khamoshi...
Aur wohi payal ki halki si goonj...
"Chhan... Chhan..."
Anamika ka dil aur tez dhadakne laga.
Aakhir...
Tahkhane mein aisa kya chhupa hai?
Aur woh... jo so raha hai... aakhir kaun hai?
Kuch jagahen khoji nahi jaati...
Woh aapko yaad rakhti hain.
Aur Anamika ke liye...
Yeh qila uska intezaar kar raha tha.
To be continued...
